Erin

What is your life mantra? Wag more, bark less.  If you look for things to complain about, you\'re going to find them.  Why spend time looking for those negative aspects when you could spend time enjoying the good things!

Describe yourself in 3 words: upbeat, goofy, fun 

What does an average day look like for you? I\'m a medical student at the University of Hawaii which means I spend a lot of time studying.  I usually wake up to a nice cup of coffee and enjoy a nice view of sunrise from my house. I head off to school, study hard, and then take a break in the afternoon to get in the water.  As long as there are some waves in the water, I\'ll be out there surfing in the afternoons. If the water is completely flat, I either go for a hike, swim, or a run. I like to spend my weekend in the ocean with friends or out at AccesSurf Hawaii. (instagram: @accessurf_hawaii).  We give surf lessons and provide access to the ocean for kids and adults with disabilities. Its an AWESOME program.

Where would you rather be? (a glam destination by the water) Id rather be standing at the edge of my long board with all ten toes hanging over the edge. :) I\'d LOVE to visit Namotu in Fiji or Noosa beach.  They are both such iconic surf spots that I\'d love to experience.  

What is the most impactful piece of life advice you have ever received? A good friend of mine always used to \never take yourself too seriously.\"  I think this is great advice because it is so easy to get caught up in small details or things that you think are super important but when you take a small step back you can really appreciate how trivial they are."

What personal achievement are you most proud of in the past 12 months?  I recently brought all my medical school classmates (72 total) out to AccesSurf.  It was awesome to see them interact with our AccesSurf participants in such a caring manner.  I was also rewarding to see two communities that I care about very much interact well together.   It reminded me how lucky I am to be surrounded by compassionate, caring people who value helping others.